Dental impression-tray.



W. M. GANTZ. DENTAL IMPRESSION TRAY.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.8, 1910.

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

IN VENTOR. 7M4 M k WITNESSES.-

' A 7701mm.

W. M. GANTZ. DENTAL IMPRESSION TRAY.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8, 1910.

RH m P y a A TTORNEY.

WILLIAM MILTON GANTZ, F WESTERVILLE, OHIO.

DENTAL IMPRESSION-TRAY.

osonii.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

Application filed January 8, 1910. Serial No. 537,079.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MILToN GANTZ, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at 'Westerville, in the county of Franklin and State01'' Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in DentalImpression-Trays, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in dental impression trays andincludes espe cially a collapsible or break down tray which is soconstructed that the plaster used in making the impression may be placedin the tray, the sides thereupon being swung to the proper inclosingposition, and the tray may be inserted into the mouth of the patient. IVhen the impression is completed the sides may be swung apart and theplaster containing the impression may thereupon be easily removed.

In the present style of impression tray it is diificult, laborious, andharassing to the patient to remove the plaster containing theimpression, especially where only a partial set of teeth are to beprovided. It is readily seen that the teeth remaining in place in themouth of the patient must be avoided when the latter is removed, and ifthe tray containing the impression medium is rigid there very greatlikelihood of the breaking of the plaster at one or more points, whichmay ruin the same for the purpose intended. It is clear also that instruggling to avoid the teeth of the patient with a rigid tray the mouthis subjected to great stress which becomes painful and almostunendurable.

The primary object of my break-down impression tray is therefore to makethe removal after the impression is obtained aneasy matter. Theimpression medium may in some cases be removed intact, but in most casesit will be broken, and the advantage of my device is that the breakagewill occur along fixed lines. hen this is done the subsequent work ofthe dentist may be accurate, whereas if the impression medium has beenindiscriminately broken in the process of removal the subsequentoperation of the dentist is rendered more or less haphazard.

My impression tray may be used in cases where an entire impression ofthe mouth of the patient is desired, but it is particularly adapted tocases where only partial impressions are to be taken, and in cases ofbridge work; it is also adapted to use in the practice of orthodontia.

The invention will be fully described hereinafter and set forth in theclaims.

In the drawings hereto attached and hereby made a part of thisspecification; Figure 1 1s a top View of my improved dental impressiontray ready for use; Fig. 2 is a vertical, longitudinal section along theline YY of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a top view of the parts in break-downposition; Fig. 4: is a bottom view of the device. The construction shownin Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 is adapted for use in taking impressions of theupper aw. Fig. 5 is a top view of the dental impression tray adapted foruse with the lower aw. Fig. 6 is a vertical, longitudinal sectionthrough Fig. 5 along the line Z-Z. Fig. 7 is a bottom view of the trayshown in Fig. 5. The construction shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 embodies atray used for taking impressions of the lower jaw.

In the drawings, 1 is the basal or palatal plate to which the sidemember 2 is hinged at 3 and 4; to swing into the position showngenerally in Fig. 3. The side member 5 is hinged to the plate 1 at 6 and7 to swing into the position shown generally in Fig. 3, and

it is seen that these side members 2 and 5 swing outwardly away fromplate 1. The end member 8 is hinged at 9 and 10 to the plate 1, and itis also apparent that plate 1 is hinged to the end member 8 at thepoints 11 and 12, so that both the plate 1 and the end member 8 are freeto fall away from each other when the parts are properly positioned forthis purpose. The end member 8 contains the lugs 13 and 14 at itslateral edges, and when the members of the tray are placed in theirclosed position as shown in Fig. 1 they embrace the side members 2 and 5and thereby hold these members in engagement with the end member 8 andkeep them in their proper closed position on the plate member 1.

Secured to the end member 8 rigidly is the handle 15 which is embracedby the flanges 16 provided on the sliding bar 17 having the finger hold18 thereon by which the said bar 17 may be moved either toward or awayfrom the tray proper. The opposite end of bar 17 passes beneath thehinged rod 19, whereby it is held in proper position and is adapted tocontact with the lug 20 provided on the under side of the base plate 1as appears particularly in Fig. 4. When the bar 17 is pushed to itsinner position as shown in Fig. 2 the handle 15, end member 8, and

. plate 1 are firmly held together in the nori wardly on the hinge 19,carrying the side members 2 and 5 with it, and as this downwardlyswinging movement continues the side members are withdrawn from theengagement of the lugs 13 and 1 1, whereupon thesides fall apartand theinner tray is broken down. Now any impression medium found therein canbe readily removed.

To fit the plate for use the side members 2 and 5 are; lifted intoposition and the bar 17' ismoved into engagement with the lug 20,whereupon the tray is closed and the impression medium-may be placedthereon as desired. Thereupon the tray is inserted into the mouth of thepatient and time is given to form the impression and to permit themedium to harden, and when this has taken place the bar 17 is pulledoutwardly and the tray falls apart as illustrated in Fig. 3 and drops tothe lower portion of the mouth of the patient, whereupon the impressionme dium may be readily removed; if a fracture therein occurs, it willtake place along the lines of junction of the side and end members, andI have found that the fractures will always be clean and definite andtherefore readily mended for thefurther operation of the dentist.

In Figs. 5, 6, and 7 I have illustrated an impression tray to be usedfor the lower jaw. The mechanical construct-ion is identical with theexception that the plate or middle portion thereof is cut away, asappears at 21, togive the patient free use of the tongue which mayoverlie the tray .while the latter is in place in the mouth. The trayused for the lower jaw would necessarily be inverted when inserted intothe mouth of the patient, and when the proper impression has been madethe sliding bar may be pulled outwardly and the tray may then be liftedto the upper portion of the mouth of the patient, whereupon theimpression medium may be withdrawn without breaking and withoutunnecessary discomfort to the patient.

Modifications of the device herein shown and described may be made, andI do not therefore confine myself in the claims hereto appended to thespecific construction illustrated, it being merely what appears tome atthe present time as the preferable embodiment of the device.

hat I claim is:

1. A break-down dental impression tray comprising a plate member, sideand end inclosing members hinged thereto, a reciprocating memberassociated with said plate and end member and adapted when in oneposition to unite said parts rigidly into a tray, and when in anotherposition to cause said parts to be separated.

2. A dental impression tray comprising a plate member, side membershinged thereto, an end member hinged thereon, a reciprocating baradapted to unite said plate and end members rigidly, and means on saidend member for engaging said side members.

3. A dental impression tray comprising a plate member, side members hin'ed thereto, an end member hinged to said p late, a handle carried bysaid end member, a reciprocating member arranged on said end member andsaid plate and adapted in one position to maintain said end member andplate in closed relation, and in another position to permit said endmember and said plate to swing into open relation.

4-. A dental impression tray comprising a plate member, side membershinged thereto, an end member hinged to said plate, and lugs on said endmember adapted to engage said side members when said parts are in theirnormal closed position.

5. A dental impression tray comprising a plate member, side membershinged thereto, an end member hinged to said plate, a handle on said endmember, a bar mounted on said handle to slide thereon to maintain saidmembers in their closed relation, and adapted to be reciprocated topermit said members .to fall away from each other.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM MILTON GANTZ.

Witnesses J. C. NAILOR, O. F. DOUGLAS.

